Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon in Angels & Demons

When you did The Da Vinci Code, had you already committed to the sequel?

No… It’s Ron (Howard) and the producers who approached me again for the role of Robert Langdon after the glorious history of The Da Vinci Code at the box office. At the time when we were shooting The Da Vinci Code, it was not clear when and who would make the adaptation of the next novel. And moreover, I love working with Ron so there was no point of denying the proposal when he came to me with the offer to play Robert Langdon again.

Were you a fan of The Da Vinci Code before you starred in the film? Have you read all of Dan Brown’s books?

Yes, all of them…. Honestly, I love books and Dan is one of my favourite authors. I was a die-hard fan of The Da Vinci Code but never thought that I would be a part of it. It was a real surprise when I was offered that flick and for me Dan’s books have been a very mesmerising journey.

What was your reaction when there was religious furore over the release of The Da Vinci Code?

Leave it man… now Vatican has also declared A&D a harmless entertainer. Even though we have been saying from day one that A&D in no way has derogatory remarks or dialogue pertaining to any community.

The Da Vinci Code came in for some criticism. Is that a given when you adapt such a best-seller?

Never. The purity of the argument — the Big Bang Vs Genesis, neither of which impacts our daily existence — speaks to our spiritual selves. Faith Vs Science requires work and passion on both sides — unless you toss up your hands and say “Who cares?” Each argument does something sublime by honouring the Mystery.

You have played many famous characters before, but Robert Langdon has an iconic quality. How do you look at him?

Thanks for the praise…. Langdon has been an epitome of success for me. It has given me a cinematic persona to which my fans can easily relate, even after three long years since The Da Vinci Code came out.

It’s wonderful to play somebody who is smart, who is an expert in this very, very obtuse field, and is constantly collecting, you know, the knowledge. But not only the knowledge, also the interpretation of it, what that knowledge does, you know he’s a symbologist, so he studies symbols. And he knows he is way ahead of anybody else when it comes to understanding all the permutations of what a signal means or a symbol means. It means different things, it meant different things throughout time, it represents, also, one symbol can represent five different, and you know, divergent points of view.

For Angels & Demons, you were not allowed to shoot in Roman churches. Was that a setback for you personally?

That’s not fully correct… We began production in Rome, where Angels & Demons filmed in such famous sites as Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Navona, Castel St Angelo, outside the beautiful Baroque Santa Susanna church and the city streets of Rome themselves for a month. From the works of Raphael, Michelangelo and Bernini to the obelisks piercing the sky in the many piazzas to the statues pointing the way towards hidden secrets, clues from Dan Brown’s books were everywhere. Everywhere the production filmed, they were always encouraged by hundreds of enthusiastic, curious tourists and locals.

According to producer Brian Grazer, “(In Angels & Demons) Langdon doesn’t stop and give a speech. When he speaks, he’s in motion.” Did you do anything differently from The Da Vinci Code in terms of your approach to the character?

You will see that my character in Angels & Demons has undergone a hell lot of improvisation so that the viewers don’t feel it’s the same Langdon when they watch the film. In The Da Vinci Code, Robert Langdon was more of a static character, but here in Angels & Demons, Langdon’s character is much more dynamic as he drives the movie and gives pace to the story. My aim was to rejuvenate the same character but with the different levels of energy at the same time.

While much of the team is the same, you have got new co-stars in Ayelet Zurer and Ewan McGregor. How was it playing the same character but opposite others?

It feels good as the international cast enhances the scope of the film. It becomes accessible in every country of the world and brings kinetic energy. It’s the sincerity Ewan McGregor brings to the Camerlengo, Stellan Skarsgård as the scary bull at the head of the Swiss Guard, and Armin Mueller-Stahl embodying the morals of the benevolent and knowing Cardinal. Ayelet Zurer wouldn’t deliver a line of dialogue until she knew the science behind it. Everyone worked at the same high expectations, with the same dedication, which made it an intense filmmaking experience.

Do you find any qualitative difference between the two films?

Yes of course, Angels & Demons marks the first time Howard has ever returned to a character a second time around. Robert Langdon is again at the centre; the film is so different from The Da Vinci Code and allows Ron to exercise a whole new set of cinematic muscles. Angels & Demons requires a different rhythm, another tempo, a different kind of drive. It is, literally, a ticking-time-bomb thriller, couched in a completely original mystery. Those two demands lead me as an actor to stage this movie in a completely different way from The Da Vinci Code.

Ron is more fearless now as a filmmaker, taking greater risks than he did when there was much less at stake. His will, his desire to open the way he makes movies makes demands of us all.

Do you think Langdon and his adventures have the steam to do a couple of more films?

Sure… why not? Langdon is here is to stay and entertain you all for a long, long time.

Are you apprehensive of more trouble and tension closer to the release of the film on May 15?

Not at all.

Any message for your fans and Langdon’s fans in India?

You are really getting into the great path towards enlightenment and understanding and questioning of our universe. It goes much, much beyond the norms of obeying a church dogma or church data. By and large, it’s all just one fabulous game of trivial pursuit, but it’s for important matters that they’re pursuing. Please go and watch A&D and have a guaranteed thrill ride.

Pratim D. Gupta
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